Although some in-line skating takes place on very smooth surfaces, most of the time skating takes place on boardwalks, bike paths, streets and city parks. Rough surfaces are the rule rather than exception for in-line skaters.
In-line skates are also used for stunts. It is not uncommon to see skaters jump off ramps or walls, descend with high speeds down stairs or glide down handrails. In many cases the landings can be rough.
Skates on the market today are essentially rigid, and thus fully transmit the shocks encountered at the wheels to the skater's body. This makes skating on less-than-ideal surfaces uncomfortable and fatiguing, and thus, less enjoyable and safe. Many skates have frames which are bolted or riveted to the boots. The associated holes add stress concentrations to the frame which weaken it. To compensate, the frames are made heavier and more rigid.
Several attempts have been made to reduce the vibrations caused by rough roads by adding springs to the design. This increases the number of parts and makes construction of the skate more difficult.
The present invention offers a suspension system with a truly simple and elegant elliptical frame design to the in-line skate industry that features the performance advantages of shock absorption, rebound and high maneuverability. In an alternative embodiment, the present invention further offers an adjustable suspension system to attain enhanced and variable performance characteristics. Both open loop and closed loop frame embodiments are disclosed. All the skate wheels are supported in a highly shock absorbent manner. Additionally, each in-line skate wheel can be independently suspended. Moreover, the suspension system may be adjusted to increase or decrease shock absorption, rebound and maneuverability, complementary to the skills of the individual user. The overall design is also light weight and can be produced in a cost efficient manner.